Today's News

As the Watermelon Festival parade through downtown Chiefland ended Saturday, parade participants and spectators made their way to the old train depot for the watermelon auction, food, fun, shopping, presentation of festival royalty and crowning of the 2017 Watermelon Festival Queen.

Emcee Daniel Jerrels began with the introduction of this year’s royalty followed by a rousing auction of some of the larger watermelons.

Going to the annual Watermelon Festival means eating and shopping for a lot of people and guests were not to be disappointed this year. There were a record number of vendors and for the first-time vendors were stationed across US 19 as well.

Sure, finding a familiar old standby is nice; a food with that familiar sign out front. However, making the choice for lunch, then hearing that your neighbor owns the booth makes that warm and fuzzy feeling happen.

The end of the school year at Chiefland Middle High School also means the end of many other annual events and cycles. But in the FFA community, achievement awards, presentations and acknowledgment of accomplishments come with summer.

The granddaddy of recognition in the agricultural education community is the Future Farmers of America Association Stars of Florida Awards. What makes this so special this year is Jillian Sanchez; a local student who is in the running.

The School Board of Levy County and Superintendent Jeff Edison have joined a chorus of calls opposing the Florida legislature’s K-12 education budget proposal and a related bill widely seen as too favorable to charter schools at the expense of the state’s public school students.

With the sun low in the sky and perfect temperatures, Chiefland High School Seniors walked onto the football field one last time Friday evening, May 26, for their Commencement program.

The ceremony started at 8 p.m. The stands were filled to capacity with family and friends standing along the football field fences. Parents had the honor of sitting on the field as each student received four tickets for field seating directly behind the graduates.

The contestants for the 2017 Watermelon Festival Queen are Catherine Bowman and Tiffany Hightower. This is the 63rd Annual Chiefland Watermelon Festival Pageant presented by the Chiefland Woman’s Club.

As the contestants, families and friends gathered May 27 in the cafeteria at Chiefland Elementary School, country music played in the background; and while the older contestants were onstage practicing their routines, the younger competitors were with families getting ready for their big moment.

His Chiefland Lady Indians were about to play in their fourth straight state championship game in Vero Beach, and the atmosphere was buzzing as game time approached and Chiefland faithful populated the Historic Dodgertown park.

When Kearston Andrews, a former Chiefland player, part of Weatherford’s first state final four team in 2007, wished her former coach well, it reminded the longtime head man once again why he’s remained in coaching for 25 years.